Residents ordered to evacuate as fire burns area southwest of Grande Prairie, Alberta

GRANDE PRAIRIE – An evacuation has been ordered on the outskirts of a northern Alberta city due to a wildfire.

The County of Grande Prairie says in a statement that crews are evacuating homes within proximity of a fire southwest of the City of Grande Prairie.

It said late Sunday afternoon that the fire was past a lake located north of Deer Ridge Estates, and that people are being ordered to leave the semi-rural neighbourhood as a precaution.

An Alberta Emergency Alert has been issued ordering people to evacuate immediately and to gather important documents, medication and medical devices and go to the Pomeroy Hotel in Grande Prairie.

The province says firefighters, heavy equipment and airtankers are on-scene working to contain the spread of the wildfire.

It says the fire danger in the Grande Prairie Forest Area remains very high at this time.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2025